Monday, November 22, 2010

Living in my Grandview Heights neighborhood in West Palm Beach, I can't help but be fascinated by backyard swimming pools. Many are hidden by privacy fences or shrubbery, but the sound of running water tells me where to look.

I cooked up an idea for a salt and pepper swimming pool scene where a bather is the pepper container and a pool floatie serves as the salt cellar. While researching pool shapes, I ran across this 1960s swimming pool ashtray for the smoking swimmer by Anthony Pools. Swimming pool culture was born during the 1960s. I have always loved the swimming pool scenes in "The Graduate" and I have just put "The Swimmer" (Burt Lancaster film) in my Netflix que. Based on the Anthony Pools marketing gimmick, I see I am not the only one to ever make a connection between swimming pools and functional ceramics. Check out my finished salt and pepper set here.